In the past, the U.S. military has trained soldiers in the use of small arms through the use of a multiple integrated laser engagement system (MILES). Typically, in such training, a laser transmitter is mounted to a weapon and aligned to send a laser light beam along the normal trajectory of a bullet fired from the weapon. Thereafter, when the weapon is aimed at a target and is fired, an infrared laser beam is emitted from the weapon. If the aim is accurate, this laser beam will be incident on a sensor located on the target. In certain systems, the sensor records the hit, and sometimes the source of the laser as well, for later evaluation. Further, if the target is a person, the sensor may provide an audio alarm instructing the target to lie down and “play dead.” In such systems, however, the firing soldier does not see a realistic, real-time result from his/her shot.
Despite this limitation, the U.S. military training programs, along with the movie industry, have provided the most notable simulations of weapons fire. In the movies, however, situations simulating gun fire are scripted, orchestrated, rehearsed and presented under tightly controlled circumstances. Every event in the simulation is planned and practiced. Importantly, every weapon simulation presented in the movies is performed “for the camera.” Although there is an emphasis on a realistic presentation for the camera, it is not combat and, indeed, is not really presented to achieve a physical perception of actual combat. On the other hand, although military weapon fire training exercises are conducted with efforts to include as much realism as possible, they do not provide realistic feedback to the shooter in real-time.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for providing real-time feedback to a solider firing a weapon at a human target, for both hits and misses. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for creating a three-dimensional visual indication of a hit or a miss from simulated weapon fire. Yet another object of the present invention is to simulate entrance and exit wounds from a single simulated weapon shot. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for simulating a realistic result from weapon fire that is easy to use and install, that is simple to operate and that is cost effective.